weaving

Colour and Weave Basics for Beginners: Plain Weave Patterns That Pop

Recently I was talking about patterns for the rigid heddle beginner (you can read that post here if you missed it). I briefly mentioned Colour and Weave as an additional technique to jazz up your weaving, but decided that it would need to have it’s own discussion, as it is so versatile and varied.

Firstly, what is colour and weave?

Well, it’s very simple. It’s the introduction of colour, usually in a set sequence, first in the warp and then also in the weft. When you begin weaving, that is when the magic happens!

The prearranged colours cross paths and have a party on your loom 🥳

Plaid, which I discussed recently is a type of colour and weave, as you have set colours in set amounts in the warp and then cross with the same colours and amounts in the weft. Take a look at this post if you want to see some examples of plaids I made on my weaving software.

*This post contains some affiliate links. For further information please see my disclosure policy.

When the warp and weft colours cross over each other, they can produce some very interesting effects. You can use colour and weave in all kinds of weave structures, but it works great for plain weave and is perfect for the newer weaver. You are still weaving your familiar plain weave, but it can look very different! My Candy Store Scarf is the perfect example of this.

Colour and weave is wonderful for the rigid heddle weaver as it is such a simple “next step” once you have practiced plain weave and are looking for a new and interesting challenge.

Some of the most famous and popular examples of colour and weave are Log Cabin and Houndstooth. These are often considered a “next step” for weavers venturing out from limited colour plain weave.

Although you can use multiple colours for both of these weaves, it can be a good idea to limit the colours to two that contrast well, otherwise the beauty of the crossing colours can become a bit lost.

Houndstooth colour arrangement is very simple, whereas log cabin is a little more complicated and warping can take quite some time. So, if you are a newer weaver, definitely have a go at houndstooth before attempting log cabin.

Jane Patrick’s “The Weaver’s Idea Book” is a great resource for getting started with this technique. She has a section on weaving a colour and weave sampler and it includes many examples or suggestions for colour arrangements.

If you’re interested in exploring colour and weave, you have come to the right place! Here is a list of resources I have that can help.

Log Cabin Table Runner Class

Log Cabin Rable Runner PDF

Houndstooth Placemats Class

Candy Store Scarf PDF

The Town Bag PDF

The Weekend Scarf PDF

Finally, I want to mention the applications of colour and weave beyond 2 shafts. Pinwheels are an easily recognisable example of this and can be woven on 4 or 8 shafts. Even though there are more shafts, the initial warp colour setup, then weaving colour sequence is still an essential aspect. My Pinwheels Table Topper class shows you how to set up your rigid heddle loom to weave this beautiful 4 shaft pattern.

When you get into 4 shafts and beyond, you can play around with your colour placement in the warp and weft in order to highlight certain areas of pattern. When I wove some bread towels for myself, I included a contrasting strip of red in the warp.

This is really not a colour and weave because I had already threaded the loom with the intended pattern – the pattern didn’t appear strictly because of my colour placement.

But I still think it’s worth mentioning to highlight how patterns can appear or at least become more prominent when selective colour arrangement is used. If I had planned this piece better, I would have ensured in the design process that the strip of red was going to be wide enough for one full repeat of the pattern – you can see part of the pattern has been cut off.

Another example from a 4 shaft project for the floor loom or table loom weavers is the Bright and Beautiful Towels.

This project uses a twill weave structure but strategically uses colour in the warp and weft so that they meed at specific points of the pattern AND so that they weave squares. This twill pattern is beautiful to begin with, but playing with the colour arrangement makes it truly unique and eye catching.

I think it’s a wonder that so many fascinating patterns can appear just by the meeting of colour!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and please leave any thoughts of questions you may have in the comments below – I would love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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What running a creative, online business is really like.

by Kelly 156 Comments

I’m well aware that as an online weaving teacher, designer and encourager, I have a lot of people’s dream job.

I design my own classes and projects, I make my own hours around my family commitments and I work from my own home.

It could be easy for those on the outside looking in to think “she is so lucky” or “I wish I could do that”. And honestly, I consider myself so blessed to be able to do this. But there is definitely more than one downside to being an online entrepreneur.

Tracy from Knit, Spin Weave wrote a blog post recently that was quite candid about the reality of owning a creative business. It struck a chord with me.

Being a part of the online world can have it’s ups and downs. People will type things that they would not dare to say to your face (depending on their level of rudeness I guess!) It has been suggested that I am somehow a greedy person lacking charity because I choose to earn money from my business rather than doing it just as a hobby. I guess that person (and yes, unfortunately it was someone well known in online weaving circles) never too the time to browse through my completely free blog and Youtube channel. Or signed up for my email list for extra free information, patterns and inspiration. I think I have published more free content to the internet than paid content. I guess that person has no idea how much time I spend every single day at my computer responding to questions and helping weavers with advice. That is not paid either, but I feel it’s an essential part of what I do.

Is there something wrong with wanting to earn money doing what you love? I certainly didn’t make any money for a long time and now earn a modest income. Out of that modest income, I of course pay taxes, materials for projects, online selling fees, I could go on and on. I pay well over $1000USD a year for online course hosting, the same for this website, $79USD per month for email hosting. The costs of actually running a business can be huge, thousands of dollars every year, even without a bricks and mortar shop.

There are times, many times where you simply do not make any money. But still, the bills must be met. And the work must continue. Yes, unlike a wage job, you have to continue to put in the work, whether or not you are being paid for it.

As a business owner, I do everything. I don’t have help with the business, apart from my wonderful sounding board husband and my son who occasionally does closed captions for me when he has time. I’m in that very tricky position of the business growing but still not earning enough to hire out help occasionally – every penny goes back into the business and into raising my family.

I did not start out intending to make money from weaving. It was, and is my passion and above all I wanted (and still do want to) share my passion with others and ignite the same passion for them. My Online Weaving School only grew out of a demand from weavers who had seen my Youtube videos – I had no idea about online courses. Over the past 3 years I’ve seen the potential grow from a hobby to a business. This has allowed me to continue to stay home with my family, homeschool our kids and contribute to our income, which has been an amazing blessing and as a stay at home Mum, was something I prayed about for years and years.

A hobby that is all of a sudden taking over every waking hour can not continue to be a free hobby. It would not be fair to my family if I spent so much time on a hobby that did not otherwise contribute to all of us.

Anyone who has seen my online classes or has purchased a pattern could not claim that I overcharge. I purposefully keep my prices as reasonable as I can. I want weaving to be accessible to anyone who wants to learn, that is why I continue to upload to Youtube even though I don’t need to anymore and the revenue that I earn from ads on Youtube is a very, very small portion of my income.

Perhaps it’s the wrong time of year to be writing this kind of post, but I do feel very reflective as the new year approaches. Perhaps it’s wrong of me to share this kind of information with those who follow me for my lessons and tutorials. It’s certainly something I don’t normally talk about, but I want people to know that this is not all easy and fun. Not just for my sake, but for the sake of other business owners in similar situations.

The internet can be so deceptive. I do love Instagram and social media but there are times I just want it all to go away. Social media can be a monster that never rests, there is always someone doing better than you, looking better than you, having more than you. Increasing the anxiety of those who use it. But don’t be fooled. Things are not always as they seem.

If there is only one point that you take away from this lengthy and disjointed post, I hope that it will be this:

Be kind. Don’t judge. Be patient with others. You can’t see behind the scenes and you can’t assume to take everything at face value. People are complicated, life is complicated! We all have to do our best to love one another, even though it’s possibly the hardest thing we are asked to do.

You know what? I think I need to go and weave something wonderful. I’ve been thinking about Krokbragd again…

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Clothtober progress

by Kelly 5 Comments

I would rather be here to tell you that my Clothtober project is completely finished, but alas, life is not like that. Life is busy, distracting and full.

So, instead of showing you my finished project I am here to update you on my progress. Because I have made progress, and sometimes that is more important than the finish line.

I started with a 10/2 weight cotton. I wanted a light weight and soft fabric for my finished garment. I had woven samples with Full Circle Australian Cotton previously and felt that it was the perfect fit for this project.

I decided on a 4 shaft, straight draw twill for a couple of reasons.

It’s an easy and familiar threading pattern that doesn’t take as long to thread as 8 shaft straight draw.
As I’m using all one colour, I didn’t want to weave a pattern that would not be seen all that well after dyeing.
I wanted a really good drape for my garment, and felt that twill would be more suitable than plain weave.

I chose a sett of 25 ends per inch, meaning that for my 10 dent reed I sleyed 2,3. If that is gobbledygook to you, it means that I placed 2 warp threads in the first reed space, then 3 in the next, then back to 2 and so on. I did this because I only have a size 10 reed for my floor loom.

As soon as I had my warp chains on the loom (800+ ends!) I started having trouble. Was it the yarn or was it me? Hmm, probably a mixture of both. As mentioned, I have used this yarn before, but only as a short, narrow warp for a sampler. This one is full width on my 90cm loom. I had so many snags and tangles, and by the time I was finally ready to weave I had quite a few broken threads. Certainly, this 10/2 cotton is very fine and perhaps not as strong as the regular 8/2 cottons I’m accustomed to.

So, the warping took a really long time and I got to exercise a lot of patience. I also learned (yep, still learning with every single project!) that this yarn may be more suitable next time as a weft if I intend on a wide warp again.

If you have ever struggled with a difficult warp, you know that special moment of being threaded, sleyed, tied on and ready to weave. Oh, the joy!

I noticed after a couple of inches of warping that I had doubled up on ends in one of the reed dents. This means there is one small section of fabric that has a thicker section and stands out as a stripe.

I could have unwoven, re-sleyed and then re-woven. But I didn’t. I decided I could live with the fault and hence forth consider it a design element.

I’m more than half way done weaving and can’t wait to finish up and take this long length of cloth (4 yards or so) off the loom.

I’m now considering which dye process I want to use. I want a dark blue, so I’m considering indigo or a fibre reactive blue. We shall see. As I weave, I have plenty of time to ponder these things.

To read more about the dyeing and sewing of the cloth, click here.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Clothtober!

by Kelly 48 Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot about clothes lately. How dissatisfied I am with my current wardrobe and why. What I might be able to do about it.

I don’t have all that many clothes, and I tend to wear the same things over and over. Once I’m comfortable with something I don’t want to give it up and I really do wear things until they’re completely worn out. This means I don’t have to go shopping too often.

I’m one of those strange women who actually hate clothes shopping. It’s like a vicious cycle on repeat. I head out to the local shopping centre, sometimes the op shop. I have a list of what I need (I never randomly buy clothes, that is just not my personality type!) And the search begins.

I go through a series of predictable steps. I can’t find what I actually want or need, so I compromise, because I need it, because I’ve worn my other clothes to death. I start to try things on. I start to feel hot. Physically hot. Is it the act of trying on one thing after another, or the building anger that nothing fits or looks right that causes this overheating? Probably an even mixture of the two.

I leave the shop. Sometimes I leave with a purchase, which is never really something that I love, it’s just something to get me by until the next thing wears out and I’m forced to come back.

My body type just doesn’t seem to exist on a clothing rack. I need 3 different sizes, 1 for my chest and waist, a larger one for my upper arms, and an even larger one for my hips. So nothing ever fits.

There is something good about all this, I’m coming to that!

It has forced me into a place of action. I’m tired of not wearing clothes I like. I’m tired of being uncomfortable. I’m tired of feeling like I have not style because I can’t buy what I really like. I want to change this.

So, here is my line of thinking. I’m a weaver. I can sew. Pattern drafting is my weakness, but perhaps I can use existing patterns as a template and change them to fit my body? Perhaps, through putting in the extra work and time and effort, I will be able to produce something I enjoy wearing? And perhaps I will even enjoy wearing it more because I know how much time went into it! Instead of junky, off the rack, ill fitting clothes, I can build my own wardrobe of special pieces! Bingo!

I have already begun. I sketched ideas first, then started looking for a sewing pattern that might fit the bill.

I started with the “Esme tunic dress pattern” from Lotta Jansdotter’s book, Everyday Style. (Affiliate link) This book has so many wonderful, classic designs that I would love to build a wardrobe from. I cut the tunic out from the largest size and sewed up a quick muslin from an old bedsheet. The problem was when I set the sleeves in. They looked terrible! No amount of tweaking and re-sewing could make it look better.

After plenty attempts to change my muslin and plenty of sage advice from Instagram and Facebook friends, I decided to look for a different pattern with a raglan sleeve instead of a set in.

I stumbled upon the It’s Always Autumn blog and found a free Raglan tee pattern. She has a lot of really good free patterns, so be sure to check them out if you head over there. Using that tee pattern I started tweaking and changing to get the dress tunic I had in mind. It took hours of cutting, placing darts, sewing, ripping apart, sewing again and then doing it all over and over, to finally get a tunic pattern that fits me properly and in a style I like! Here is the muslin.

Semi fitted, yet not clingy – perfect! And did I mention that it fits?!

OK, so now onto the fabric. I’ll give more of my warp details next time, but the basic idea is to weave the fabric from an undyed cotton and then dye it to a colour I like. Yes, I want this garment to be as customised as possible!

A lot of my social media followers seem to be right into this idea, so I thought “why not make a thing of it? I can encourage other weavers to make an item of clothing with the same aims in mind. And, if we do it through October, then I can name it Clothtober!” Win, win!

So, I’m going to be sharing more details of this project as I go along (and lets face it, with over 800 ends to warp and thread, this is not going to be over in a flash!) And I hope that I may inspire some of you to choose an item of clothing you want to weave for yourself. According to your skills and what you need in your wardrobe. I will be weaving on my floor loom, but you can do what you like.

Ideas?

A skirt, a fitted blouse, a poncho, a jacket, a top, pants, a hat?

If you feel you need some extra help, here are some classes that may interest you:

Clasped Warp Quechquemitl Wrap

Garment making on a rigid heddle loom

Wrist warmers

I’ve also been eyeing the Bias Top sewing pattern from Sarah Howard, which looks terrific.

What do you think, is this something you can do? Are you fed up with crappy clothes that don’t fit?

Let me know in the comments if you want to join in. What will you make? Or perhaps you just want to follow along with my project for future inspiration, that is fine too.

Next time I’ll be talking about finding your own individual style, so be sure to check that out.

Until then…

Happy Weaving!

8 shaft Strickler sampler

by Kelly 2 Comments

If you follow me on Instagram you will have been viewing the progress I’ve made on my 8 shaft sampler.

*This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click and purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I didn’t have any specific plan for this sampler other than to explore some 8 shaft drafts on a rose path threading from Carol Strickler’s 8 Shaft Pattern Book.

If you’re not familiar with rose path threading, it is a point twill variation and can be used for both 8 and 4 shaft patterns. An example of rose path threading for 4 shafts would be 1,2,3,4,1,4,3,2,1 and for 8 shafts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,1,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.

Something I really love about having an 8 shaft loom is the range of patterns or motifs that can be woven. I wanted to explore:

Which combinations of yarns would be most effective for the designs I wanted to weave.
How many different patterns I could weave on 8 shafts by changing my tie up often.

Once you have threaded a multi shaft loom, there is no going back, no changing the order of threading (unless you want to go back and start again and no one wants to do that!) By changing the tie up though, you can vary the combinations of shafts as you’re weaving, therefore changing the pattern without having to change the threading.

By “tie up” I’m talking about attaching my treadles to various shafts with texsolv cording. Different types of looms have different ways to tie up the treadles and one thing I love about my Louet David is how simple it is to tie up. This means that if I want to change the tie up to alter the pattern, it doesn’t take long and isn’t hard to do.

My loom is a sinking shed loom, so I was aware that the actual pattern would be woven on the underside. I didn’t mind that (in other words, I couldn’t be bothered messing around with the treadling to make sure the pattern would weave the right way up). Interestingly, I discovered that I often preferred the weaving on the underside to the right side anyway.

I started with 8/2 unmercerised cotton for the warp in white and warped at 20 ends per inch. I made my warp around 10 inches wide on the loom, as I like to have plenty of space to see my pattern. A narrow warp doesn’t always give enough pattern repetitions to give a good representation.

Beginning on page 30 of the book, I randomly picked motifs to weave according to the number of treadles required. My loom has 10 treadles, so 8 were tied up for the pattern weft and 2 were tied up for tabby.

I initially started weaving with some dk weight cotton (pink) and Bambu 7 (blue) and changed to 8/2 Cottolin (grey). For these designs I used tabby throughout (which means that following every pattern weft row is a row of plain weave) in an 8/2 mercerised cotton in a very light blue which looks mostly like white in these photos.

I wasn’t too thrilled with the initial results but it showed me something valuable. For the designs to have more impact I needed to use a heavier weight of yarn for the pattern weft and to choose my colours with intention. I wanted bold, not “meh” designs!

I switched the tie up and the yarn, and presto! Much better result this time. I alternated between a variegated orange/pink and teal fingering weight hand dyed wool, keeping my pale blue 8/2 cotton tabby. The top design is a burgundy dk/light worsted wool. I find both sides of this design equally pleasing. Between the hand dyed and burgundy you can see that the design looks slightly different – this is as a result of changing the treadling around but keeping the same tie up. So many variations are possible! If you’re looking for this design in the book, it is number 132 on page 32.

For this design I once again changed the tie up and swapped to a black fingering weight wool. This design is number 133 on page 32. The red design is number 128 and was worked in a dk/light worsted weight cotton. You can see how different this one looks on each side! I also tried it in a lighter weight and colour of cotton, which sort of just shrunk into the background.

This design is one of my favourites – number 139 on page 33. I changed treadling and yarn again for this one, using dk/light worsted weight wool (I had figured out by now that a heavier weight wool gave the kind of effect I liked).

I finished up with design 120 on page 31. The Strickler design looks like little trees, but mine are upside down and look more like balloons, which I find quite cute. I experimented with my tabby yarn by using a hand dyed, variegated tencel against the blue wool. I quite liked the effect (you can see the rainbow-ish colours in the middle of the panel.

This was a really fun project. I loved having something on the loom that had no particular commitment and didn’t need finishing quickly – it was purely for my own enjoyment and learning. That’s the kind of weaving I like!

I may just keep this as a sample or I may cut it up and use it for a small project. For now, I like the way it looks just hanging off my studio shelf.

If you are intrigued by multi shaft or floor loom weaving, I have a very popular class for beginners, the Introduction to Floor Loom Weaving. It takes you through all the step by step basics of getting started on your loom and weaving a beautiful cowl project. There is also a follow up class to go onto afterwards. You can even purchase the two classes together for a special price.

If you take out a Yearly Membership or Monthly Membership to my Online Weaving School, the floor loom classes are included.

I hope you found this post interesting and inspiring!

If you have any questions about this post or my Online Weaving School, please leave me a comment below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

4 shaft weaving and sampling

by Kelly Leave a Comment

This week I’ve been working on the sequel to my Introduction to Floor Loom weaving class.

This class will focus on 4 shaft weaving and begins with an optional sampler. I always felt that a sampler was a waste of time and effort, but I have definitely changed my ways! I do a lot of sampling, particularly now that I use a lot of my own designs and need to see and feel how the fabric is going to be before I put it out there to my students. Since I realised what a fantastic learning tool sampling can be, I always recommend it to my students. It can pretty much make or break a project!

Plus, when you’re finished with a sample, you can either cut it up and use it for small project, or keep it to refer back to. Either way, it’s useful!

The next part of the class will move onto 4 shaft kitchen towels, which I designed. Each towel is a little different but equally lovely.

We will weave 4 towels all together.

Here is a sample of the first towel, isn’t it gorgeous?

The towels tie in happily with my #weaveforme plans for April, as I will be keeping them for my kitchen 😊

If you’re interested in the next floor loom weaving class, make sure you are signed up to my email list for announcements and special offers. Instagram is also a great place to keep up with what I’m doing.

Do you have plans for your #weaveforme project yet? I’d love to hear about it!

#weaveforme April Challenge!

by Kelly Leave a Comment

April is challenge month!

We all know that weavers are generous and love to give hand woven gifts. But, how often do you weave something just for you?

I’ll be the first to admit that I rarely weave anything as a gift to myself. But, when I do, it’s so satisfying!

The challenge for next month is to weave something (anything you like!) just for you.

It could be something you need or just something you want, as long as YOU are the one who gets to enjoy it!

If you need ideas, there are a number of free projects on my Youtube channel and over at my Online Weaving School you are spoiled for choice with many, many projects. Don’t forget the patterns available in my Etsy shop too!

On Instagram, share your project photos with the hashtag #weaveforme. You can also share and follow along with what others are doing on the Kelly Casanova’s Weaving Lessons group on Facebook.

I hope you can join in the fun!

Alright, thinking caps on! 😀

I deleted my last post and wrote about krokbragd instead!

by Kelly 13 Comments

I had a long post, all ready to go. It was a little bit of weaving and a LOT of life. I’m glad I didn’t hit “publish” on that post right away. I’ll explain…

The post was written at the end of a really busy week. I had launched a new class for my Online Weaving School, I had made a Youtube video, I had promoted the new class everywhere I could think of to promote it, I had homeschooled the kids and cared for my family, we had been on educational outings, appointments and activities. Yeh, I was pretty tired at the end of that week. And then I sat down to write a blog post.

A little bit of advice to you all – don’t write blog posts when you’re over tired. And if you do write them, don’t publish them! That’s all I’ll say on the subject for now, except to add that I have now caught up on some much needed sleep and rest and am thankful that, not only did I get over my little self pity party, but also that I decided not to inflict my Whingefest upon your eyes and minds!

Now, let’s get to the fun stuff.

I had been wanting to warp up my inkle loom for quite some time, as it has been sadly neglected and I do so enjoy weaving on it, just for something a bit different. My loom is the Ashford Inkle, which is the larger version, they also make the Inklette, which is more petite for smaller and narrower bands.

I didn’t know what to warp up, so I took a flick through my go – to Inkle book, The Weaver’s Pattern Directory by Anne Dixon. I often recommend Anne’s Handweaver’s Pattern Directory for 4 shafts, as it is so packed with drafts and quality information and her inkle book is no exception.

I started by picking out some colours from my stash that I love (always a good way to start a project, even if you’re not that confident with colour choices). I ended up with a mixture of mercerised and unmercerised 8/2 cottons. If you’re unfamiliar with 8/2 cottons I often use Maurice Brassard as they are great quality and come in heaps of colours. Here is an example of MB 8/2 unmercerised. A comment from Gai has just reminded me of something I wanted to add about mercerised cotton. In general, I don’t like to use it on a larger loom, it twists up on itself and is a general pain in the neck. However, on the Inkle loom it’s different. Because you warp directly on to the pegs without having to do extra threading or moving of the warp, it behaves itself very well. It is constantly under high tension, so is easy to use and does add a lovely “gleam” to the project.

Being the lover of the weave structure Krokbragd that I am, it was a natural choice. Did you know you can weave krokbragd on an inkle loom? Yes, you totally can!

And, did you know that a krokbragd band is as equally gorgeous as a larger loom project? Yes, it totally is!

So now I’m really excited about the design possibilities for this, though I admit that the design aspect is different to what I’m accustomed to – it’s proving quite a challenge for me and is a bit to get my head around. I’ll keep plugging away at it though, and I’m sure I’ll get there.

I love that the reverse side is just as striking as the front.

As soon as I posted these on social media, people were asking me for a class, which I would love to do once I have some of my own designs up and running. In the meantime, if you have Anne’s book or are interested in purchasing (perhaps your library might have it?) this krokbragd design is from page 107.

And, if krokbragd band weaving is of interest to you, there will definitely be more to come!

Thanks for reading, until next time…

Happy Weaving!

*Please note – this post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you click and purchase, I will receive a small percentage of the sale. I only recommend products that I own and love.

Interview with Mirrix Looms

by Kelly 7 Comments

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Claudia Chase, President of Mirrix Looms. You may be aware that I am quite taken by the tapestry looms available from Mirrix and have one on my Wishlist, as I discussed in this post.

Photo credit Williams-Prior Art + Design

When did you first become interested in weaving? How did you learn? What attracted you to it?

I became interested in weaving when I was nine or ten. I saw a rigid heddle loom in the home goods department of Macy’s! My parents bought it for me for Christmas. I was hooked. But that was cloth weaving and it would take me many years to realize my passion was actually tapestry weaving. That happened when I was pregnant with my daughter Elena. There was a tapestry course being offered in San Francisco, CA (United States) where I was living at the time. The class seemed more like a gathering of women who wanted to weave together and not a lot of instruction seemed to be happening. They were also doing some natural dyeing and it struck me that although the onion skins were cool maybe the heavy metal they were using to fix it was not the best thing for my pregnant self. I attended two classes. I learned only one thing: I loved tapestry and I was going to master it on my own.

When did you decide to start a business and how did you settle on a name?

I designed the loom with a friend because I wanted a high-end very portable metal tapestry loom. A metal loom existed called the Hagen but the smallest size was 24 inches and I wanted something really small that I could throw in a bag and haul wherever I might go. I didn’t want to miss any opportunity to get in a few weft passes. I also wanted a loom with a more sophisticated shedding device along with excellent tension. Our prototype was ten inches wide. Sometimes life just happens and the next thing I knew I was in business manufacturing portable metal looms. The name came from the joining of a Greek and Italian verb to mirror or to wonder. I just added “ix” at the end and Mirrix was born!

Photo credit Williams-Prior Art + Design

Mirrix looms are quite unique in design and aesthetics. What influenced your decisions on materials and style for your looms?

I wanted to use metal because it is much stronger than wood and one of the biggest failures for small wooden tapestry looms is they cannot withstand the stress of tension and in any case most of them don’t even have a tensioning device. There were a couple of other metal tapestry looms out there and folks were making their own out of copper pipes. I wanted a loom with an easy to use shedding device, perfect tension and portability. We took some old ideas and some new ideas and came up with what we think is the perfect portable tapestry and bead loom.
How many looms do you personally own and which is your favourite?

There are fourteen looms in my studio at this very moment with various stages of tapestries on them. I am always experimenting for new kits, new products and new ways to weave so I need a lot of looms. My favorite size changes over time. For a while I was weaving tiny tapestries on the 5 inch loom. I guess I was looking for intimacy. Currently I am working with all the smaller looms. But I have a lovely piece temporarily in repose on a twenty-two inch loom, which at times has been my favorite size for tapestry. It’s small enough to easily move from space to space and it’s large enough to make a rather substantial tapestry. In the past I have stated that if I could have only one Mirrix Loom it would most likely be the 22 inch loom. But then again, I really do love those smaller looms that peopled my original vision. I would also want one of the smaller looms. Gosh, deciding which one would be quite the dilemma. There is a reason why folks collect multiple Mirrix Looms!

What are your favourite fibre/threads to use and why?

I use wool and silk almost exclusively. I am fascinated with weaving with our hand-painted silk yarn and ribbon. Combining it with wool is magical. For warp I use wool, linen and cotton depending on the project. For about ten years I dyed fleece and the spun it in to yarn. I do hope to get back to that someday because it made my tapestries totally mine.

What items do you love to weave the most?

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with working on smaller pieces. They are little, tiny comments on life and happen quickly so I can move through one a day. In the past I have woven large pieces which take weeks or months to complete. That requires an entirely different mind set. I find lately that I find myself more attracted to the smaller pieces because I can move through a design or color problem much more quickly with small format. I know I will be ready to go back and do a large piece very soon.

What did you do before your weaving business?

Photo credit Williams-Prior Art + Design

I wove tapestry before I began the loom business. Before that I wrote and published poetry and worked as an editor. I had founded a poetry magazine back in the day. My interests range from verbal to visual. I believe I have a healthy dose of ability in each.

I love that your looms are manufactured local to you and at Sunshine House. Can you tell us a little about Sunshine House and how this wonderful collaboration came to be?

Sunshine House provides supported employment for people with physical and mental disabilities. Making a loom is a complex process and the managers there do a fantastic job matching tasks to people’s abilities and setting up work stations to help people with different abilities be successful. It’s a wonderful place and allows people who may not be able to get employment elsewhere to work and to be a part of something truly good.

What are your plans for the future of your business?

We want to continue doing what we’ve been doing all along. We have created a rhythm for doing business whether it’s finding a new audience to developing new looms, accessories and projects. It’s careful and determined. We don’t rush into anything because we want to make sure we are always taking Mirrix in the right direction. Thus far, we have been so lucky with our choices. We do have a new product on the horizon which will allow lightening quick warping of the Mirrix which will both accommodate new weavers but also assist seasoned weavers who want to instantly throw on a warp for sampling or otherwise. We have been working on this new accessory for a year now. It has just survived market testing with flying colors so we are ready to launch!

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in learning weaving?

Start slowly. Sometimes people get into their heads that they want to weave something very complex or very specific and they get frustrated when their skill level doesn’t match their expectations. Weaving is a skill that can take many years to develop. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and start with the basics and you’ll be way more successful. Giving yourself a strong foundation of weaving skills is very important!

Thanks to the Mirrix team for a marvellous insight into your looms and business!

I wanted to add that another thing that really appeals to me about the company is all of the excellent instructions and tutorials you can access on their blog and Youtube. These are people who really want you to succeed in your weaving and I just love that.

To find out more about Mirrix, you can visit them at the following places:

Mirrix website

Instagram

Youtube channel

Online Weaving School FAQ’s

by Kelly 88 Comments

Have you been wondering about my Online Weaving School? Maybe you have visited already but feel unsure about where to get started? Today I am going to address some of my most frequently asked questions!

What is your Online Weaving School?
It’s a place I’ve created online for weavers of all different levels and abilities to learn. Because the lessons are all online, the student can learn at their own pace, in their own time, and in the comfort of their own home.

How do I take a class?
You need to be registered and have an account to purchase classes. This is a simple process using your email and a password. Making an account does not cost you anything.
You can look through the classes available, read a little about them and view the curriculum. Many of my classes are available as single purchase classes and there are quite a few free classes you can take as well.

What is a membership?
You can also purchase a membership. This gives you access to a library of classes and projects. Some of these classes are only available to members. Members are invited to join a private member’s group where we share photos, discussions and ideas. There are also occasional giveaways and live videos just for members.

Member’s also have access to Member’s Only Classes. There are currently 16 of these classes available that are not available to the public.

You have access to the library of classes while your membership is active. If your membership payments lapse or you cancel, you will no longer have access to the classes.

What is the difference between a monthly and yearly membership?
If you want to purchase a membership, you have several choices. Currently available are the Premium Membership, the 6 month membership and the monthly membership.

What classes are included in a membership?
Currently, all classes are included.

Premium members also enjoy early access to all new classes as I make and upload them. This means that Premium members can access this new content weeks and sometimes months before it’s actual release.

Are memberships always open?
Yes, you can purchase a membership at anytime.

What is Weaving Boot Camp?
This is a great opportunity for newer rigid heddle weavers, or those who have not yet gained the confidence they desire. The course runs over 4 weeks and is designed to get you going with your loom with step by step instructions and demonstrations. I have had many students tell me that this was the class that solidified weaving for them.

Is Weaving Boot Camp always open?
No. It opens once a year, for a limited time. The best way to keep updated on opening times is through joining my email list.

Are all of your classes for the rigid heddle loom?
Most are, as they are the most in demand. I also have an introductory class for floor loom weaving plus a follow up to this class. There is the Weaving on a Table Loom course. I also have classes for inkle weaving, and plans for more floor/table loom classes and classes that incorporate other fibre art techniques.

Is there a time limit to watching a class?
No. Once you have purchased a class, you have lifetime access and can view at your leisure. You can go back and rewatch as many times as you wish.

Are your classes downloadable?

Unfortunately not. Due to the prevalence of online course theft, I do not allow downloads of classes. Instead, when you access your classes they are streamed.

How is your Online Weaving School different to your Youtube channel?

Good question! Youtube is where the idea for my weaving school began. Youtube is mostly a short tutorial format and is fairly basic. My Online Weaving School is not just a learning platform, it is also a community. Classes are usually lengthy, with lots of video content as well as printable PDF’s. The general rule is, if you like my Youtube channel, you will love my weaving school!

Any more questions I need to add to this list? Let me know if I’ve missed any and I’ll either answer in the comments or update to include them in this list.

Happy Weaving!